How to explore EarthNow! efficiently, enjoyably

January 11, 2008

By Terry Hall Extension Educator/Agronomy Potter, Sully, Hyde, and Faulk Counties ONIDA - Those of you, who have visited the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) National Center for EROS, know what an extraordinary institution it is. If you are interested in visiting the Center near Baltic be prepared to go through a security check. The checkpoint is not any more difficult than going through a national airport or visiting a National Memorial such as Mount Rushmore. Obviously you would not think of bringing a knife or firearm on your person and it is a good idea to leave any bags or cameras in your car, as they will need to be searched thoroughly. Remember to carry identification such as a driver's license or government ID. A website, which I am sure you will find as fascinating as I do, is the EarthNow! This website displays data received from the Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 satellites. Image data are down linked and displayed in near-real time as a Landsat satellite passes within range of the ground station at the USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS). When no satellites are within range, the most recent pass is displayed, the date of which is clearly marked on your screen. As you might have guessed from the numbering system, Landsat is the name of a series of satellites that have been used by governments, scientists and educators to monitor changes of the Earth's land surface. The satellites provide a means for measuring the change in the amount of healthy vegetation, extent of damage and rate of regeneration following a forest fire, and various other applications of interest to professionals in the defense and agricultural industries. Since the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972, these satellites have continuously monitored the Earth. The USGS currently operates Landsat 5 and Landstat 7. These satellites contribute more than 400 images per day to the EROS data archive. On your computer, EarthNow! requires Java version 1.4 or greater to run. If you do not have Java installed or have an older version, please upgrade to the latest version by going to http://www.java.com . If this fails to fix your problem, please visit your local Extension office. Most Extension offices have downloaded Java version 1.4 in order to use our new Elluminate communication system. Just last week agronomy Extension Educators across the state used Elluminate to receive updates and instruction for the 2008 Private Pesticide Applicator's Trainings (PAT) which have begun this week. Contact your local Extension office for the PAT nearest you. We hope you enjoy the exciting and beautiful images waiting for you on the EarthNow! website. For a website of stationary images to explore, go to http://earth.google.com .